The present invention relates to a service information providing method and system for providing useful service information really wanted by a user using a portable electronic device that is the electronics apparatus easy to get on and off to the terminal such as a smart card (hereinafter the smart card is called IC card) or memory card and a terminal apparatus such as a car terminal or portable telephone. And, the present invention relates to the service information providing apparatus for providing the service information described above.
In recent years, personal computers and networks represented by personal computer communication or the Internet are spreading not only in offices but also at home. Along with this spread, various services are provided. Needless to say about most offices, even personal shops and general households have homepages and put out information, so the networks are flooded with an enormous quantity of information.
On the other hand, as a terminal apparatus used to browse the information, not only personal computers in offices and homes, so-called Internet cafés (cafés where the Internet can be used), street terminal apparatuses represented by kiosk terminal apparatuses, and dedicated terminal apparatuses on which offices provide unique services are being widely used.
For cars, recently, car navigation systems are becoming popular, car terminals (mobile terminal apparatuses) aiming at ETC (Electronic Toll Collection system) or ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) in the future are being developed, and computerization and networking for cars are starting.
For communication that has an important role in networks, the communication infrastructure is being established along with, e.g., the explosive proliferation of portable telephones, and an increase in communication speed of the conventional telephone network represented by the ISDN. Some portable telephones have not only a telephone function but also portable terminal apparatus functions for e-mail and the Internet.
As described above, transmission and reception of information are done in various forms. However, there are neither sufficient mechanism which allows a user to obtain only wanted service information anytime and anywhere nor a sufficient systematic service mechanism which allows a user to effectively use the service information.
In relation to these techniques, techniques disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 11-65434 and 12-99442 are known.
In the technique disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-65434, an information providing apparatus provides, to an onboard mobile terminal in a car, not only information designated by the user but also advertisement information according to the position of the mobile terminal.
In the technique disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 12-99442, advise information related to the user's action is provided to the user or his/her family in accordance with position information transmitted from a terminal carried by the user.
Conventionally, since an enormous amount of information are put out on the Internet, it is difficult to find information truly required by the user. In addition, since information reception from the Internet is mostly done using a personal computer permanently connected to the network in an office or home, desired information cannot be acquired at a place where the personal computer cannot be used (at a place except the office or home, during walking, and in vehicles).
Some cars have car navigation systems. However, information provided by such a car terminal is fixed information registered in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM in advance. Even when latest information is provided from the information providing server through the communication channel, this information service is one-way transmission from the information providing side, and all pieces of information provided are not always required by the user. Furthermore, operation of receiving detailed information by the car terminal is cumbersome and not effective.
Information wanted by a user means really useful information which is narrowed down in accordance with a specific place and date/time. For example, when a sightseeing tourist using a car is going to make a first visit to a place and take a meal in that region, the categories of meals such as Japanese, Western, and Chinese meals and the date/time of the meal are important keys. It is very difficult to acquire desired information from an enormous amount of information without using the keys to narrow down the information.
A sightseeing tourist often wants to visit various places in a short time. However, at a first visit place or unfamiliar place, a certain period of time is required to extract such desired information. It is also difficult to select an efficient route to go to a desired shop by the car. In addition, a desired restaurant may be closed because of a regular holiday although the tourist has managed to arrive at the restaurant. This also applies to a walking tour.
Furthermore, the techniques disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 11-65434 and 12-99442 are one-way transmission from the service information providing side. In this case as well, all pieces of information provided are not always required by the user, and the same problems as described above are posed.